Trauma-Focused Psychotherapist
Over 70% of the US population has experienced at least one traumatic event. Trauma affects not only how we react to the world, but it can also teach us some very unfortunate lessons such as 'I am unlovable', 'I am unworthy', 'I am unsafe' or other beliefs that result from one trauma or cumulative traumatic experiences.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) is a form of therapy that helps people heal from trauma by reactivating our brain's natural healing process through alternative eye movements, sounds or taps. I have witnessed EMDR help my clients heal from atrocious emotional wounds and relieve suffering.
Some folks have experienced attachment trauma. Traumatic events are what happen to you and attachment trauma is the result of what did not happen for you. Folks who have experienced pervasive neglect, psychological, physical and/or sexual abuse during childhood can struggle with trauma-related dissociation. Dissociation is a way for the brain to 'check out' when physical escape is not an option or the emotions are too overwhelming. Assessing for dissociation is integral to ensuring psychological safety prior to engaging in EMDR. I utilize Ego State and Structural Dissociation interventions to support a safe healing environment.
I primarily work with older adults and middle-aged adults. I also work with those struggling with chronic and life-altering illnesses as they learn to cope with a new & ever-changing normal. 
What is EMDR?
Courtesy of EMDR International Association
https://www.emdria.org.
Additional Modalities
AEDP, Ecotherapy and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
Working with individuals who have experienced trauma, I noticed that these folks (often out of necessity) have some pretty solid defenses against experiencing emotion and can have difficulty attaching to others in healthy ways. AEDP (Accelerated Experiential and Dynamic Psychotherapy) allows me to help the client tap into their inborn ability to heal by 'undoing aloneness' and coming alongside the client to process and experience difficult experiences in a supportive and relational space.
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy is a somatic-centered psychotherapy that brings awareness of how traumatic experiences affect the body, noticing and attending to physical symptoms and rediscovering a sense of control over one's responses to trauma.
The healing power of creation has exerted such a powerful effect on my own journey in life. As a former 'city girl' I never thought that I'd be out in remote areas for days and loving every minute of it. While there I realized such a shift in my mood and my overall well-being. Naturally, I sought ways to impart this experience to my clients.
Taking the healing outdoors allows us to rediscover our health in relation to our connections and interactions with the natural world...a connection that many of us have lost or forgotten.